dpird's Biosecurity Blitz is back in 2025

DPIRD News |16 October 2025

From 16 October to 16 November 2025, Western Australians are invited to become citizen scientists during Biosecurity Blitz 2025, an annual community campaign run by the Department of Primary Industries and Resource Development to spot unusual pests and protect our farms, environment and trade. 

Now in its 10th year, the Blitz encourages people across WA, whether gardeners, landholders, students, or curious locals, to observe, learn, and report organisms in their backyards, bushland, paddocks or waterways. Participants can upload photos, geo-locations and descriptions of plants, animals, insects, aquatic pests or diseases through the MyPestGuide® Reporter app.

Even “nothing to see” reports are valuable: confirming the absence of pests helps biosecurity experts get a clearer picture of where risks are (and aren’t). 

Why we love the Biosecurity Blitz

As the Recognised Biosecurity Group (RBG) for the Peel–Harvey region, Peel Harvey Biosecurity Group (PHBG) supports landholders in pest monitoring, control planning and on-ground action. DPIRD's Biosecurity Blitz offers an opportunity for locals a fun way to get familiar with using the MyPestGuide Reporter app, a vital tool in reporting invasive threats to the government. 

Reports via the app help DPIRD to:

• detect new incursions or outbreaks early

• map pest hotspots across landscapes

• prioritise areas for control or investigation

Plus, of course, the campaign engages members of the community to the world of biosecurity and increases awareness of what's around us and what belongs here. 

How to participate

1. Check the Biosecurity Blitz webpage for downloadable activities and resources you can do this month.

2. Download the MyPestGuide Reporter app or access it via your web browser. 

3. Make your observations — if you see anything unusual (insect, plant, fungus, animal), take a clear photo, note location and submit through the app.

4. Even if you don’t see anything, submit “no-pest found” reports to strengthen absence data.

5. Spread the word to neighbours, friends, catchment groups — the more eyes out there, the stronger our monitoring network.